Another great Sunday evenings entertainment from our Junior B’s this weekend as they welcomed Ballybricken Bohermore to Mackey Park to play the third round of the East/City Junior B Hurling League. It was all go from the start as Ballybricken Bohermore got two points one from play, and one from a free. We responded well as Liam Ryan got a serious point from out the field. Smashing points from Sean Madden and Podge O’Connor who got on the end of a great pass from Seamus Richardson, set us level with Ballybricken. However, it was short lived as despite Robert Magill’s best effort the ball hit the back of the net and Ballybricken went three points up. Seanie O’Connor scored a monster free from inside his own half, Sean Madden added to our scores after getting on the end of a great ball in from Podge. Disaster struck again just before the water break as Ballybricken scored their second goal. Seanie O’Connor got the last score before the water break and the scores stood as Ahane 0-06 Ballybricken Bohermore 2-03. Second quarter got underway, and we were first off, the mark with another point from the stick of Sean Madden. Ballybricken got the next two scores before Madden give a magical pass to Tristian who got a serious long-range point. Madden added a free to his tally and we headed to half time. Score Ahane 0-09 Ballybricken Bohermore 2-05.

Second half started with substitute Pat Minehan putting the ball over the bar from his first touch in the game. We will be seriously disappointed to not have gotten more goals as we had at least five goal chances that we put wide or the Ballybricken Bohermore keeper saved. We levelled the game again with a Podge O’Connor point. Ballybricken continued to put serious pressure on our defence but Adam Myers at full back, Seamus Richardson at centre back along with Jack Barry, Tristian O’Sullivan, Denis Hayes and David Troy had great games and did everything they could to keep the Ballybricken forwards at bay. However, Ballybricken managed to break down our defences for a third time and got a goal, but we finally scored our one and only goal of the game in the fifteenth minute of the second half when James Hayes got a great ball and passed it off to Tom Dawson who smashed it to the back of the net. Second water break Ahane 1-11 Ballybricken Bohermore 3-06. The final quarter of the half was full of drama as it saw two of the Ballybricken men sent off due to two straight reds for separate incidents. Eanna Kennedy got a point from a free and the game was all square again. Short lived though as Ballybricken scored a point. Pat Minehan got his second point and once again we were level but the drama from the beginning of the quarter wasn’t quite over as Ballybricken were awarded a penalty which they slotted home. We didn’t have enough time to try and claw back the lead before the full-time whistle sounded. Full time score Ahane 1-13 Ballybricken Bohermore 4-08. Another tough battle for our lads who battled hard throughout the game and did the club proud!

Team: R. Magill; D. Hayes, A. Myers, D. Troy, J. Barry, S. Richardson, T. O’Sullivan (0-01); P. O’Connor (0-01), S. O’Connor (0-02 (0-01 frees); L. Ryan (0-01), S. Madden (0-05 (0-02 frees), L. O’Mara, D. Kennedy, J. Hayes, E. Kennedy (0-01).

Substitution: P. Minehan (0-02) (2nd ½ for S. Madden), J. O’Keeffe (2nd ½ D. Hayes), T. Dawson (1-00) (2nd ½ for D. Troy) T. Kennedy (2nd ½ D. Kennedy), G. Hayes (2nd ½ L. O’Mara).